Taking a Stand for Peace
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation's
22nd Annual Evening for Peace
by David Krieger, October 2005

The theme for the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s 22nd Annual Evening for Peace on October 29, 2005 is Taking a Stand for Peace. The individuals who will be honored at the Evening for Peace, Daniel Ellsberg and Douglas Roche, have set high standards for taking such stands.

Dr. Daniel Ellsberg is a true American hero and patriot. He was a top-level analyst for the RAND Corporation assigned to the Pentagon when he released the Pentagon Papers to the news media, exposing government lies about the war in Vietnam. He believed then, as he does now, that if the people are not told the truth about issues of peace and war, they cannot make informed decisions or give informed consent. His actions shined the light of truth on secret US policies in Vietnam and helped to turn public opinion against that war and bring it to an end.

For exposing the Pentagon Papers to the public, Daniel Ellsberg was prosecuted and faced more than 100 years in prison. Fortunately, his case was dismissed when the Nixon administration committed illegal acts in raiding the office of Ellsberg’s psychiatrist. Since that time, for more than 35 years, Daniel Ellsberg has been in the front lines working for peace, government accountability and the abolition of nuclear weapons. He is the author of a highly acclaimed book, Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers.

For his courage and commitment to building a peaceful world, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation will present Dr. Ellsberg with its 2005 Distinguished Peace Leadership Award.

We will also be honoring a distinguished Canadian diplomat and politician who has played a major role in the global effort to eliminate nuclear weapons. Douglas Roche is a former Canadian Ambassador for Disarmament and member of the Canadian Senate. In 1998, he formed the Middle Powers Initiative, a coalition of eight international civil society organizations, including the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, to encourage and assist middle power governments to put pressure on the nuclear weapons states to fulfill their disarmament obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The Middle Powers Initiative is one of the most respected organizations working in the field of nuclear disarmament. It has held many high-level consultations, bringing together representatives of middle power governments, nuclear weapons states, and civil society experts. Two of these consultations have been held at the Carter Center in Atlanta with the participation of President Carter. In addition, the Middle Powers Initiative has sent delegations throughout the world to meet with government officials and encourage them to increase their support for specific measures to reduce nuclear arsenals and nuclear dangers.

It is for Senator Roche’s skillful chairing of the Middle Powers Initiative, his vision of a way forward out of the nuclear nightmare that confronts humanity and all life, and his lifelong persistence in this effort that we will present him this evening with the Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Helen Thomas, the longtime Dean of the White House Press Corps, will be joining us to interview the two honorees. She is a journalist of high integrity, who asks tough questions and tells the truth as she sees it.

We hope that the Evening for Peace will provide inspiration to all who attend to become more active in working to build a peaceful world.

David Krieger is president of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (www.wagingpeace.org) and the Deputy Chair of the International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global Responsibility (www.inesglobal.org).